FALL COLOURS

The autumn season in spectacular fashion with nature's annual show of pyrotechnics, the explosion of red and gold that blazes across hill and valley is a sight to see. We immerse ourselves in the last great display of the year, the silent song of the leaves.

It's easy to develop a split personality in October. There's a love-hate ambivalence connected to it. We love it. Summer's heat has been tempered by crisp fall air.

I remember how happily we brought them to school and learned to preserve them in waxed paper...the red of sumac, the yellow of birch, ash and the russet and burgundy of oak and, always, the glory of multi-hued maples: scarlet, orange, vermilion, gold and even purple.

I always preferred to believe that Jack Frost painted the trees for my delight until some spoil-sport had to explain more than I ever wanted to know about the process...how the warm, bright days encourage sugar production, while the cold nights trap it in the leaves, causing red pigmentation. Did I need to know that the decrease in chlorophyll meant less green as natures chemicals flamed the leaves?

But all that is the UP side of October. The day of reckoning...or rakin' in...is the down side. The falling-down side? Time to gather and dispose of the dull brown remnants of glory. When the dance is done, we're the ones who clean up the dance floor! As one neighbour put it one Saturday afternoon, "The family that rakes together, aches together!"

The sight of leaves spiraling downward often inspires me to visions of innovative, if bizarre, disposal methods. Perhaps a sneaky way with a wind machine, revved up in the dead of night, to blow all my leaves into someone else's territory. But would I do that? Of coooourse not! I just always listened to the weather report, and when I heard the prediction of high winds, I prayed they, just float away, into the neighbours yard a few doors down. My problem solved!

Fallen leaves have their uses, I suppose. When I was younger we lived in an older house and would put our leaves in bags placed around our house foundations, as added insulation against the winter-to-come. It's called "banking the house" and can be surprisingly effective at reducing floor-level drafts. Now, I just see big orange bags with Pumpkins on them, filled with those hard raked leaves, to set out as Halloween displays.

Then, there are compost heaps. Compost heaps are a pain in the butt, really. Occasionally I see a well-tended heap going about its job of rotting into a compound over which a gardener, some future day, will gloat as he enriches his soil. For a moment, I might have felt a twinge of envy but never a strong enough twinge to go and do likewise. I think I'm more into instant gratification.

Then, remember when we could burn the leaves? Today, I can close my eyes and delight in that wonderful smell of leaves burning in a small bonfire at the side of the road. Then, with tired aching muscles, but a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and just the plain great feeling of going back into a lovely warm house and looking back at a job well done, until at least the snow flys and we tackle another job!!

Ahhhh, it's great living in a condo now!!! Honestly though....I do miss all the above!!

The following pictures where taken by my sister, during her trip to Algonquin Park in Ontario, this past weekend. Also some from my friend in Hamilton, and some from Owen Sound, Ontario from my Cousin. I don't think they will mind if I share them with you.

Roxanne and Kass

Now for a few lovely ones from my friend Sandy in Hamilton, Ontario

A couple more beaut's from my Cousin Dorothy in Owen Sound, Ontario

I took one of Ambleside the other day also.

That's it for today! It was fun today, but I'll show you and tell you about that tomorrow. Adios!

WED OCT 8 YOM KIPPUR BEGINS AT SUNDOWN

YOM KIPPUR BEGINS AT SUNDOWN

Today, Wed. October 8th, at sundown, starts Yom Kippur, otherwise known to the English-speaking world as the "Day of Atonement". This day marks the end of the "Days of Awe" begun with Rosh Hoshanah.To my Jewish and Messianic Christian readers, may your fast be light and easy, may your festive meal be full of happiness and friends, and may the Temple yet be rebuilt. May your old, badly kept vows be washed away. May your new covenants and vows be kept solemn and true in the new year.

Personally, I don't know much about the Jewish faith, however embrace all faith and belief's.

I met a lovely, elegant Jewish lady on our cruise to Alaska and this is especially for her and hope I have the above (copied) wording is correct.Our life is much richer having met you Joan

Love Tom and Linda

PROBLEM FIXED

Gosh, it's amazing what one learns when they read the instructions!! I could have left those pictures from Smilebox of our trip to Alaska on here, but I got too trigger happy too quick.

Nothing much is new here the past few days. Tom surprised me yesterday with one of his mystery trips that I have no idea where we are heading, I just get ready and hope I'm properly attired. We ended up at IKEA!

I'm going to copy from a letter I wrote to a friend this morning, rather then type the whole thing about again about what happened to me at IKEA.

Yesterday, when we went to IKEA, I had a funny little accident!! Tom was in hysterics laughing at me.
I wore a pair of heavy type slacks, like jeans, but dressier. The zipper wouldn't stay up without the button being done up. Soon as we got there, we headed to the washroom. My button popped off, and flew under the stalls and was gone!! My zipper wouldn't stay up and my pants kept sliding off me! I searched in my purse for a safety pin, but I'm always changing purses, and the one I had a little repair kit was in the other purse at home!! I went out with my arms holding unto my pants, so was walking very delicately, trying to keep them up. Tom is laughing at me when I told him what happened. We asked at the desk if they had a safety pin and nobody did. We wandered around with me holding on, now with my hands in my pockets to hold my pants up. I asked a fellow stacking dishes if he knew where I could get a safety pin but he didn't have one, so he got on his phone and called the medical department to see if they had pins and NO, they didn't use safety pins, just clips, that wouldn't work on my pants problem. Another person in display was called and he came down to see how he could help, but only had a stapler! So there I was in the middle of the store with my shirt up, and stapling my pants shut, all the time trying to keep the zipper up as well. Tom standing back laughing with the guy who brought the stapler and saying he's never had a request like this before. So, I got myself sort of held together and still had to walk gingerly around so they wouldn't pop open. Then, Tom wants to go for lunch, and I'm afraid to sit, or even eat! They actually held while I so gently lowered myself into the chair, but was afraid to eat more then one meatball off Toms plate and sip my coffee. They actually held until I got into the car, drove home and had to pop them off to use the washroom again. Needless to say, I didn't really enjoy the day, when I was afraid to hardly move, and was terrified of trying out any chairs!

I think I'll carry a safety pin in my purse from now on, pinned to the inside of the lining!!

We are leaving in a few minutes to go have tea at some friends of ours, so I better hurry and finish this off.

I took some pictures while out on my walk on Sunday and will post them next time on her. Just a bunch of seagulls down at the pier and a picture of how the trees are changing. Not real interesting stuff, but all I have at the moment.

Wait until we come back from Antarctica at Christmas, and I'll have lots to tell you and loads of penquin instead of seagulls to show you.

Talk to you soon

HELLO OCTOBER 7TH

Well, since I put the pictures of our trip on here, thinking I was being really smart, I've loused up the whole site.

I've lost my fonts, and everytime I put a picture on here, it show's up on my screen as html, which I know nothing about.

So, I'm going to attempt to restore things by taking off those pictures and hopefully it will restore itself. In fact, I'm not sure what it will even do when I publish this for you to read. I hope you don't get this turkey talk print and a real turkey picture show's up

Soooo, I'll be back!!
Linda